St Barnabas: Bristol school set to close despite opposition

The school opened 150 years ago and has only 56 pupils

A 150-year-old school is to shut due to falling pupil numbers, after the move was approved by Bristol City Council.

St Barnabas Primary School in Montpelier has space for 210 pupils but currently only has 56.

On Tuesday councillors agreed it should close at the end of the academic year, despite being presented with a petition to save it signed by 2,495 people.

Deputy mayor Craig Cheney said St Barnabas' financial position was "untenable".

Schools' funding is calculated on the number of students enrolled, and St Barnabas' governors said its low pupil numbers had made it financially unviable.

It is expected to have a deficit of £59,000 by the end of the year.

Bristol City Council say the drop in pupil numbers is due to Bristol's declining birth rate, which is not expected to increase even when new housing is factored into the modelling.

Mr Cheney said: "There's an inevitability about this happening across the city. It's difficult but it is what it is, you've got 50 kids in a school that has a capacity for 210.

"The cost per child of heating lighting and so on will become untenable for the governing body of the school. It's difficult but it makes sense."

Metro mayor Dan Norris officially opened a mural at the primary school in July

But parents have blamed the drop on poor planning on the part of the council.

They said the opening of two new local primary schools in 2012 and 2015 meant there was an overprovision of pupil places in the area.

They also highlighting the school's strong track record of providing for children with special educational needs.

They said St Barnabas is the most culturally diverse school in the area, and also has the most green space.

In a statement to the council, campaigner Lotty Cronk said: "We believe that the closure plan is short-sighted and the consultation process has not been carried out fairly.

"St Barnabas is a victim of poor planning by the council and gentrification of the local area and we believe the closure will further disadvantage the already disadvantaged."

The council said: "We can guarantee that all pupils will receive an offer of an alternative school place.

"We cannot guarantee this will be at a preferred schools but will try our hardest to secure this."

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